The Lower Manhattan community breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday upon hearing that the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center was given new life.
The executive order of the state-city agency responsible for overseeing construction projects below Canal Street was due to expire at the end of the year.
It required renewal by Governor David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg on or before December 31, prompting Downtown elected officials and community board members to make phone calls and pass a resolution stressing the need for the agency’s continued existence.
They prevailed on late Wednesday, when the Governor and Mayor signed into law a new executive order effective until December 31, 2013. In a written statement on Friday, Paterson said the L.M.C.C.C must continue to play a pivotal role in coordinating construction, ensuring safe work conditions and attending to the concerns of Downtown residents and businesses as the activity level reaches its peak in the next eighteen months.
“This is a huge victory for the community and the city,” said State Senator Daniel Squadron, who had sent a letter to Paterson and Bloomberg this week, urging them to keep the agency on.
“We are very pleased that the Governor and Mayor have extended the executive orders for the L.M.C.C.C., allowing us to continue our important mission for Lower Manhattan,” said Bob Harvey, L.M.C.C.C.’s executive director, in a statement.
Catherine McVay Hughes, chair of C.B.1 ‘s World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee had gone so far as to contemplate moving if the agency were to shut down.
“It’s wonderful that the L.M.C.C.C. will be here for the next three years of construction,” said Hughes. “I’m going to stay Downtown,” she said, chuckling.
